Best Boxer (2012)

Caleb Truax

For all the momentum gained by Minnesota boxing in the late 2000s, the onset of the millennium's second decade has given a swift uppercut to patrons of the sweet science. Following a stunning upset of Celestino Caballero in late 2010, St. Paul's Jason Litzau suffered a first-round loss in his ensuing bout to undefeated Adrien Broner. After running off nine consecutive fights without a loss, heavyweight Joey Abell also found opening-round carnage in his January 2011 loss to Chris Arreola. That leaves U of M grad Caleb Truax (18-0-1) as the state's next best hope to impress on the national stage. After grabbing the Minnesota middleweight belt with an impressive win over Duluth southpaw Andy Kolle in May of last year, the undefeated Truax has been waiting for his next bell. Rumors surfaced of a bout with former world middleweight champ Jermaine Taylor last December, though the Truax camp was said to have passed on Taylor's back-from-retirement fight. Then in late January, Truax was slated to duel Sacramento's undefeated Brandon Gonzales before Gonzales was forced to withdraw with a hamstring tear. Currently ranked as the No. 6 middleweight in the country by BoxRec.com, the affable Truax is now signed for an April 20 bout featured on Showtime's ShoBox: The New Generation. Dueling at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, he'll be opposing (wait for it) Jermaine Taylor.